Back Home
by G.Force04
Summary: It has been three years since the finale, and another strategy has struck Ted's life. When Barney and Robin come back for one night, who knows what could go down.
1. chapter 1

A/N: This fanfic is set ten years after the series finale, (This is set in 2040) and in this specific fanfic, Ted and Robin never got back together in the finale. I do not own any of How I Met Your Mother or its characters.

It had been ten years since Barney and Robin even glanced at each other, let alone hang out for an entire night together with their three closest friends, one in particular being an extremely nosy redhead who doesn't give up on finding her way into other people's business. The night would be anything but ordinary, but that wasn't the point. Both Robin and Barney came out of hibernation to support Ted for what had been another heart-wrenching tragedy that occurred just one week ago.

It happened so quickly, and not a single soul saw it coming. Penny was so young, and she didn't deserve what she got.

She had come to visit her father after her sophomore year of college. She hadn't seen him since Christmas, and there was only three weeks until school started back up again.

She was driving down the highway —roughly 15 minutes away from Westchester— in the extreme dark when she noticed a pair of bright lights looming closer to her. She started to panic, until she realized there was nothing that could be done. She had tried to pull her car over and out of his way, but he was driving too fast, and she hadn't seen him quick enough.

After the cars had collided, Penny was still able to call 911 through her cell phone. She also called her father, who came almost immediately to her aid. He rode with her in the ambulance, and talked her through everything. There was blood everywhere, and from numerous different locations. Yet again not much could be done to help. But they tried their best, and refused to give up. Neither did Ted. And neither did she.

They pulled into the hospital in the nick of time, and hope sprang into Ted's chest. He fully believed that his daughter would be safe.

It wasn't until she came out of surgery that Ted learned his daughter hadn't been able to pull through. She was pronounced dead at 5:37 that morning.

Ted, surprised by the sudden turn of events, was devastated to say the least. He had hitched a ride home from Marshall and Lily (his car was still in the spot where it happened) and locked himself in his house.

Up until tonight, he hadn't let anyone come inside, except for Luke. He hadn't spoken to anyone, and hadn't tried to move on. He spent his days looking at old photo albums and watching home videos from when they were kids.

Such an emotional person with a sensitive heart, the gang knew that they had to go visit him, or who knows what he would've done.

Barney and Robin, stepping up to Ted's door at the same time, accidentally interlocking fingertips whilst trying to ring his doorbell simultaneously. "So...I don't really know what to say here. How's it going? I know that's probably the most broad question to ask, but it's a start, isn't it?" Barney asked Robin.

Hearing his voice after all this time took Robin by surprise. She hadn't heard his laugh, any of his lame catchphrases, and she hadn't gotten disgusted about his numerous conquests in so long. While they were separated, it didn't seem like she missed him that much, but now that they were here together, she didn't want to have to leave and go back to being alone in her studio apartment and to a job where no one knows her name, and no one bothers to learn it either.

Thinking about him again made her totally forget about his question. "Things have been alright," She started, then sighed. "If we're being honest, life sucks. I haven't gone on a date in six years, no one at work likes me, and I haven't gone to a bar in ages."

Hearing how bad Robin was doing made Barney feel slightly sympathetic. As long as he had known her, she never needed reassurance from anyone that she was awesome. And she was. Seeing her back there with all this chaos going on, especially with Ellie's mom, it was nice to have a friend by his side. Even if they hadn't spoken since the divorce. There was so much that she didn't know, with his job, his apartment; everything had fallen apart since she left his life. Nothing before or since had made him sadder.

Seeing her frown and red, puffy eyes, Barney took her by the shoulders, and ever so gently shook her. "Hey, you're Robin freaking Sparkles! If people don't get you for the insane person you are, then they don't deserve to. And who knows, if you don't like where you are, there's always room for one more at our booth."

Barney requesting her to come back and be a part of their lives again made Robin feel something she hadn't felt in a long time. She felt...wanted. Nobody in her office or apartment building would care if she packed up her things and left; they probably wouldn't even notice she was gone.

"How about we start with a simple visit? I can come for a couple days, and if I enjoy hanging out with all you after all this time, maybe I could consider coming back full-time."

Right as the slightest smile started to creep up on Barney's face, a brown-haired, six-foot tall, midwestern man answered the door with a whisper and a frown. "Hey guys, thanks for coming. Lily and I are trying to make a quick dinner, Ted's on the couch, in front of the fire, and he could probably use some comforting. He's in a bad place. I think he might be worse than last time."

Silence fell over the trio as they processed what Marshall had just said. They all remembered what happened last time. He was so far below rock bottom that it couldn't even be seen. Ted didn't leave his room for two months; Marshall and Lily would constantly be staying at his house, bringing him food, and helping him survive, for the most part. Barney had come by a couple times, trying to get him psyched up, but nothing he tried ever worked. Robin came by once, and seeing her there was the only thing that made his eyes have the glimpse of a sparkle, but she hadn't come back since.

As Barney and Robin crossed over Ted's threshold, unaware of what was going to happen, they walked in together.

END OF CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

 _ **A/N:**_ _After chapter 1, I had a little bit of writer's block, trying to figure out how to make this story compelling, and suspenseful enough to be eager for another chapter. This story holds a special place in my heart, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. I am sorry this chapter took so long to publish, but I am very proud of it, and I hope the time waited was worth it! -G._

When Barney walked into Ted's house for the first time in years, he didn't quite know what emotion to feel. For someone who normally was extremely talkative and energetic, he now was speechless. What are you supposed to say to your best friend when their daughter passes away? On the way there, Barney thought that he would know exactly what to say, - being a father, and knowing what he would want someone to say to him - but when he walked into the living room, staring blankly at the brown, leather couch where Ted told his kids in extreme detail, how he met their mother, all those words slipped away, and only one thought remained:

There's nothing you can say.

Nothing you say, or do, can heal the gut-wrenching feeling of grief, because only one thing can do that: Time. So it became Barney's mission that night, to not necessarily drag his best bro in the world down, but to just get him moving. Get him talking - about anything, really - and at least distract himself from the craziness taking over his brain.

Let alone watching the love of your life pass away, but now Ted had to go through the same process for his own daughter. He was there the moment she was born, and he had always hoped, somehow, that he wouldn't be there when she died. He didn't think he heart could take another heartbreak.

Being a father was no easy task, Barney recalled. The day that Ellie was born completely changed his life. And for the better, he liked to believe. If someone had told him in his mid-20s that he was going to be a father, raising the most beautiful girl in the world, by himself, he would've ran until he found Atlantic City, and drank his fears away. In no universe or situation he ever was in before, was he more happy than he was being her father. There is no stronger bond than the one between father and daughter.

But then Robin climbed out of that cab.

The only time Barney was ever truly happy before Ellie was born, was when he was with her. He remembered not wanting to go to sleep every night. And not just because of the idea of sex, but the idea that for once in his life, his reality was better than his dreams.

Barney never believed in love at first sight. In a way, he still didn't. He believed in _attraction_ at first sight; he thrived on it. But he never believed in love. He barely had any role models to him that marriage worked, and was something he was capable of. But when Ted pointed her out to him at the bar, he thought she was hot, sure, but he never thought that she would be one of his best friends in the entire world, who he couldn't imagine life right now, without.

His life had changed so much since the last time he sat in their booth at MacLaren's, and he had never looked back. Not until now. Not until he wished that she still kept her wedding band, in the same place he had kept his.

He wasn't ready to give up just yet. He never gave up. Especially on something this important.

Before she saw Barney standing at the front door, Robin wasn't sure if she should even come at all. Things were already awkward between her and Barney, and know this whole tragedy just multiplied it. But when she saw him standing there in her favorite suit of his, she knew she had made the right call.

She always thought that her instincts would kick in somehow, and she would know exactly what to do, and how to react when she walked in Ted's house. She had planned an elaborate, but very to the point, and kind-hearted, conversation to get him to start moving on, but when she felt the tension, and mood in the living room, she knew she was in way over her head.

When it came to tragedies, Robin usually was brutally honest, and would tell whatever the person deserved to hear about the person affected, and always hoped it would help them move on quicker, but the more and more she tried to do that, the more confident she grew that it never really worked. If her breakup with Barney had one silver lining, it was that really, all you need is time. Time to work out anything you needed worked out. Time with your friends who support you no matter what you do. Time just to let out all of your emotions; a time where no one judges, or cares that your getting snot and tears all over their clothes.

When someone dies, it's hard to comprehend what you're supposed to do, but when it came down to it, there was no secret method to be happy sooner; you just had to live with it.

The same could be said about relationships; when it came down to it, you just had to come to the terms that things weren't going to be the same afterward. But at least with relationships, you at least had the opportunity to get another chance, if you tried hard enough. But even so, things weren't going to be the same; there was always going to be the worrisome dread filling your head that the same thing was going to happen in the near, or distant future.

But when Robin saw Barney at the front door, the worrisome dread suddenly washed away and was replaced with a feeling of hope. And whilst waiting for the door to be answered, and catching up with him, she grew more and more hopeful that wind was started to blow the closed door on their relationship slightly ajar.

When the front door opened to reveal Ted's house, she couldn't have been happier that the two of them were walking in together.

 _ **A/N:**_ _I know I didn't actually continue the story after chapter 1, but I wanted to devote this chapter to Swarkles, and their internal emotions about seeing each other for the first time in years. Chapter 3 will definitely be a continuation of chapter 1, but I would love to hear your opinions' about this chapter specifically, and if you would like to see chapters like this pop up in the future, or if you want me to never do this again. I would love to hear anything you guys have to say, and will make sure chapter 3 is written and published asap. -G._


	3. Chapter 3

Every square inch of the house was dead silent as Barney and Robin walked in. They kept a respected distance between them, even though nothing had happened between them in almost half a decade. Ted was slouching on the couch, wearing his favorite gray Wesleyan shirt that quite obviously hadn't been washed or cleaned in at least a week.

"Thanks for coming, guys. I didn't know if things were going to be weird, and all, with….well, you know; but I just thought -" Ted attempted to explain.

"We're happy to be here, bud." Barney had interjected.

"If you need literally _anything_ , from a nice bowl of soup to a -" Robin began.

"Nothing I want is going to bring her back. It's all my fault that she's gone, you know. The least I can do for her is absolutely nothing." Ted interrupted. "She wasn't going to come home because she had too many papers and exams to study for, but I pressured her to come anyway, simply because I just wanted to see her."

"You couldn't have known what would happen," Lily sentimentally said.

"No, but I should've. I'm her father; I'm supposed to protect her from the harms the outside world wants to throw at her. I can't eat; I can't sleep; I can't...do anything knowing her killer is still out there, with no idea of the impact his reckless driving had on me, and our family. I couldn't even tell Luke, after he finally convinced me to move on from Tracy to…" - he lifted his idea just slightly and grasped a quick glance at Robin, before remembering he shouldn't "- someone else, and now...we're all kinds of messed up."

"I wouldn't have kept Elle if it weren't for you and Penny, you know." Barney said.

"What? You almost gave her up?" Lily asked abruptly.

"Of course. You think me, someone who has never wanted someone to be held down, would want a kid, let alone a daughter, someone of the same gender I had tricked and deceived numerous times? Let's just say, I was pretty close to letting her go, up until I discovered the relationship you and Penny shared, that unconditional love and wanting to protect, that I realized that was the path I had so desperately tried to find for so long."

This made Robin tense up in her seat. Never once, no matter how long they knew each other, had she even thought about the chance that he would've given up Elle, the daughter he loved and talked more about than any other female. Or, that he had observed the relationship that a father and daughter _could_ have, and realized that was what he wanted. That may have been the sole reason their marriage didn't last longer than those couple years.

Well, maybe not the _sole_ reason; the list slightly resembled a grocery store receipt. But this revelation brought a profound feeling of hope in her eyes. Now that he had one of the only things he wanted for the majority of his adult life, maybe there was still a chance for them. Robin had warmed up to the idea of kids, and especially starting with one of Elle's age - not a baby - was better by many other standards.

And a kid who's being raised by one of the awesomest people she had come across, how bad could she actually be?

The rest of the gang had continued in comforting conversation, but Robin had tuned them all out, and for once, allowed the voices in her head take over, and began to daydream. Now that she was free of the always-traveling and life-consuming job that Worldwide News she had had for multiple years, having a calm life, one that involved many days of not even getting out of pajamas was the perfect life.

She was all alone, but the more she thought about it, he suddenly appeared next to her. His blonde hair in a mess from another night of tossing and turning, the covers missing from his side, since they were all on hers (classic cover-hog).

When everything seemed perfectly calm and quiet, she heard the faintest cry come from the room right next to theirs. Barney was beginning to awaken, but Robin, already being woken up, got out of bed, put on her robe, and went to check on her.

In her slivered-pecan-painted room, laying in her small bed, there she was. Robin went over to the crying toddler, and sat down next to her, keeping a safe distance between the two of them. Even in her mind, kids were never her thing. As time progressed slowly, Robin inched closer and closer to Elle. All at once, in a way only a daydream would, Elle laid her head on Robin's shoulder, and she seemed to quiet down.

"Robin? Ro-o-bin?"

Outside of the room, Robin suddenly heard a familiar voice calling to her, but she couldn't identify the exact location. "Robin? Robin! ROBIN!" the voice crescendoed.

She felt a slap on her left thigh, and came back to reality. "What's going on, sweetie?" Lily asked Robin.

"What? Uh, nothing. Huh? I'm good. I'm just...yeah, I'm good." She said frantically.

"Robin? Bathroom." Lily demanded before marching away.

"Um, okay. I guess I'll be right back." Robin said. She left.

When Robin got in the surprisingly cramped bathroom, Lily was already sitting on the toilet with the top down, and her arms and legs crossed. Robin met her gaze.

"Where's the poop, Robin?" Lily asked.

This took Robin by surprise, and she found herself searching for the right words. "I, uh, don't know what you mean. I've got...nothing...to hide. So, I think you're a little off, today, huh? Let's just go back inside, and pretend this never happened, because nothing happened." Robin said before starting to walk out the door.

As the door creaked open, Lily ran over and slapped her hand on it, blocking Robin's path. "Where's the poop, Robin?" Lily repeated.

" _Nothing's_ going on, I swear, -" Robin said in a familiar high-pitched voice with a squeaky laugh.

"But you want something to, don't you?"

Robin began to pace back and forth in the bathroom, which was only two or three steps each way, confused by her conflicting emotions. "Does a part of me want to get back together with him? Sure. But honestly, I think I just need one more go around to get this out of my system." She said. Originally, she thought that she wanted to start hanging out with him again, but maybe all she needed was one night with them. Then things would go back to normal. If "normal" was even something to strive for. She then both saw and felt a hand sweep across her left cheek. "What the hell, Lily?!" She yelled.

"I'm _trying_ to slap some sense into you! It may have only been three years, but I can see you want Barney back, and not just for one night! Things may not have been totally right for you guys the last time, but that doesn't mean they're _never_ going to be right. You're single, he's single, why not give it a shot? And you're not subtle, sweetie," Lily explained while rubbing Robin's shoulder.

"What? I'm not subtle. What? No; there's no way. I'm always subtle," Robin responded.

"Oh, we haven't talked in almost a year, and I could tell within 15 minutes of you walking through the door that you wanted him back. The only thing you're remotely subtle about is _why you're holding back_. You never see each other anymore, so it's not like you're risking awkward drinks every night; you don't even have to see him afterward. Do you want to be with him?"

"Lily, we DO NOT work well together! I literally made him fat, I pulled my hair out because of him, he lied to me for months because he wanted to propose, when we weren't even together at the time, and so much more." Robin explained.

"And?"

"And...fine, I still want him," She caved. "I do. But you need to let me do this, on my own terms, okay? No meddling, no actors, no nothing, you hear me? Stay out of it, and I will tell him."

Lily nodded with agreement, squealed almost a little too loud, and left the room without saying another word. She couldn't help but think the only reason Lily wanted so badly for them to get back together was because of that stupid bet she made with Marshall about her ending up with Ted. But either way, it didn't change the way she felt about Barney.

She stayed in the bathroom for ten or so minutes, took three deep breaths - a tip she learned from Tracy -, and walked out the bathroom door. When she got back to the gang, she was surprised to hear and see that Ted was actually the one talking to them. "I'm just so glad that you guys are here. It's been hard, but you guys know that. We always promised to be together for the big moments, and you know what? We should've known that they weren't always going to be good ones. And, who knows what the future holds, but I haven't seen you guys in so long, this has just made me realize, we need more time together. Because we love each other, right?"

"We sure do, bro." Barney and Marshall said.

Ted suddenly then pulled them in for a hug, which they all reluctantly agreed to. For a couple seconds at least, before Robin decided to bravely break away first. "Hey, uh, Barney? Can we talk?"

"Um...sure, dude." Barney responded. And as they left, Lily could see a slight smile creeping on his face. The good kind, though.

Robin led him to the same bathroom, waited for him to come in, and closed the door. "What's this about, Scherbatsky?" He asked.

She paused for a second before telling him something she hadn't uttered to anyone in almost half a decade. "I love you."


End file.
